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Electric bill

  • 29-03-2017 11:01am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 849 ✭✭✭


    Bill has increased six fold this month due to an actual reading compared to my estimated from last few months.

    I moved into my place under a year ago and this feckin" nightmare of a bill was waiting for me..

    Can I contest this or will it just result in me paying the full outstanding..


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭osarusan


    IrishLad90 wrote: »
    Bill has increased six fold this month due to an actual reading compared to my estimated from last few months.

    I moved into my place under a year ago and this feckin" nightmare of a bill was waiting for me..

    Can I contest this or will it just result in me paying the full outstanding..

    This has happened me in the past also.

    An 'estimated reading' in the middle of winter was way too low, and then the next bill came with the actual reading that covered the new billing period as well as all of what the estimate missed.

    I don't think you've any choice but to pay it though - they are only billing for what you used.

    You could raise the issue of the woefully inaccurate estimate though, in the hope that they'll be more realistic in future. You can also provide them with actual readings of the meter if you have access to it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 849 ✭✭✭IrishLad90


    osarusan wrote: »
    This has happened me in the past also.

    An 'estimated reading' in the middle of winter was way too low, and then the next bill came with the actual reading that covered the new billing period as well as all of what the estimate missed.

    I don't think you've any choice but to pay it though - they are only billing for what you used.

    You could raise the issue of the woefully inaccurate estimate though, in the hope that they'll be more realistic in future. You can also provide them with actual readings of the meter if you have access to it.

    Thanks for the reply, I was genuinely shocked in the difference of the bills :O

    And I don't plan on spending the rest of my day on hold either :/ when I replied to there email they said they will get back to me .... In 3 working days


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,639 ✭✭✭andekwarhola


    Send in your own reading for every billing cycle as well.

    I do this for gas and electricity and our bills are always pretty predictable during the year.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 638 ✭✭✭Estrellita


    If you send your own reading in a week or so before billing then they will take it into account and charge you accordingly. No nasty surprise bills that way. You are just going to have to pay the bill off.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,564 ✭✭✭✭whiskeyman


    IrishLad90 wrote: »
    Can I contest this or will it just result in me paying the full outstanding..

    You can ask for a payment arrangement if the amount owed is too much to pay off this month.

    If the actual seems correct, you will have to pay.

    As others have said, be sure to take your own meter reads monthly to ensure accurate billing.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 4,639 ✭✭✭andekwarhola


    We're with Airtricity and you can arrange to be reminded (by text and/or email) to submit a reading 3 days before billing is due and then enter the reading on their site. Presume others providers allow this.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,798 ✭✭✭Mr. Incognito


    I've had a faulty meter for years.

    They, after many attempts got someone out to check the calibration which was incorrect.

    They only adjusted for 12 months.

    I was in the middle of that row and accidently paid the lot by card online as their website defaults to the full amount and I stupidly put in the amount I wanted to pay and didnt hit submit

    So I have no hope of getting that back.

    They are a typical dsyfunctional semi state


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,505 ✭✭✭XsApollo


    Switch to a provider with level pay.
    I pay around 55euro a month for electricity , every month regardless of usage.
    I do the same with the Gas , it's around the same regardless of usage.
    I haven't looked at a bill in over a year and half.
    No surprise bills.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,759 ✭✭✭Winterlong


    XsApollo wrote: »
    Switch to a provider with level pay.
    I pay around 55euro a month for electricity , every month regardless of usage.
    I do the same with the Gas , it's around the same regardless of usage.
    I haven't looked at a bill in over a year and half.
    No surprise bills.

    With Level pay you should get a balancing statement at the end of the year and you then either get a refund or have to pay to match your actual usage.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,505 ✭✭✭XsApollo


    Winterlong wrote: »
    With Level pay you should get a balancing statement at the end of the year and you then either get a refund or have to pay to match your actual usage.

    Yea I know, they just adjust it accordingly.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,498 ✭✭✭BrokenArrows


    IrishLad90 wrote: »
    Bill has increased six fold this month due to an actual reading compared to my estimated from last few months.

    I moved into my place under a year ago and this feckin" nightmare of a bill was waiting for me..

    Can I contest this or will it just result in me paying the full outstanding..

    You are fully liable for the amount they have charged you with because you used that amount of electricity. (Assuming the reading is correct. )

    You were neglectful in not checking the readings on the estimated bills against your actual readings. They can only estimate based on the knowledge they have about you and the property. If this is wrong then it is your responsibility to correct it.

    Most suppliers are fair with this stuff and will allow you to pay it off gradually, so just call them and arrange that.

    And as other posters have said you should submit your actual readings every month or two so that the estimates dont become inaccurate in the future.


  • Posts: 24,714 [Deleted User]


    XsApollo wrote: »
    Switch to a provider with level pay.
    I pay around 55euro a month for electricity , every month regardless of usage.
    I do the same with the Gas , it's around the same regardless of usage.
    I haven't looked at a bill in over a year and half.
    No surprise bills.

    Not a fan of level pay myself, prefer to submit a reading and pay the actual amount. Especially with gas as you get tiny bills all summer when you have expenses like holidays, weddings etc.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,759 ✭✭✭Winterlong


    XsApollo wrote: »
    Yea I know, they just adjust it accordingly.

    Not if the delta is too much. Then you have to pay it off and they adjust upwards the following year. So not really 'no surprises' as you said.
    Better to take readings and pay IMO.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    Kidnap some oulwan from the day centre, put the house in their name and claim the household benefits package on their behalf


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,973 ✭✭✭RayM


    I do this for gas and electricity and our bills are always pretty predictable during the year.

    I run the gas off the electricity, and the electricity off the gas. Save €200 a year.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,798 ✭✭✭✭DrumSteve


    You are fully liable for the amount they have charged you with because you used that amount of electricity. (Assuming the reading is correct. )

    You were neglectful in not checking the readings on the estimated bills against your actual readings. They can only estimate based on the knowledge they have about you and the property. If this is wrong then it is your responsibility to correct it.

    Most suppliers are fair with this stuff and will allow you to pay it off gradually, so just call them and arrange that.

    And as other posters have said you should submit your actual readings every month or two so that the estimates dont become inaccurate in the future.

    TBH the main problem here isn't the suppliers; it's the ESB as they pass on the readings.

    I would recommend that everyone contacts their companies every two months with readings; don't leave it to estimates (ESB themselves are only mandated to read your meter between 1 and 4 times a year so you could get stuck with an estimated invoice otherwise)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,505 ✭✭✭XsApollo


    Winterlong wrote: »
    Not if the delta is too much. Then you have to pay it off and they adjust upwards the following year. So not really 'no surprises' as you said.
    Better to take readings and pay IMO.

    I haven't had any surprises, unless you have changed something drastic in your usage from the year before then it would be pretty similar


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,505 ✭✭✭XsApollo


    Not a fan of level pay myself, prefer to submit a reading and pay the actual amount. Especially with gas as you get tiny bills all summer when you have expenses like holidays, weddings etc.

    Works both ways, No massive gas bills over the winter, Christmas , party season :-P


  • Registered Users Posts: 849 ✭✭✭IrishLad90


    Could this be backdated to a previous tenant? I am fairly sure the Meyer reader has only been out here once since I moved in !!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭osarusan


    IrishLad90 wrote: »
    Could this be backdated to a previous tenant? I am fairly sure the Meyer reader has only been out here once since I moved in !!
    I think that if you had a contract and it was all above board, your letting agent/landlord would have read the meter on the final day of the previous tenant's occupancy and passed that on to the utility company.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,212 ✭✭✭✭B.A._Baracus


    Interesting you should say that, op.
    In my parent's house you never hear the meter man even to this day. It started about 2009/2010 and since then the door has been opened to him about 5-8 times.

    We all chalked it up to who ever in the house at the time was deaf or sleeping until on two separate occasions myself and then my dad heard him knock and we have never, ever heard a much softer knock using a brass door knocker in my life :pac:


    It's all apart of the job tho when you think about it. You're hardly going to spend 1 minute on each house knocking and waiting for someone to open the door. Not when someone can call or go online to give their meter reading ;)

    So you knock with a 'sponge' and move on to the next lol.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,330 ✭✭✭readytosnap


    You moved into a place and didn't check the meter reading?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 177 ✭✭Imallrightjack


    After hours where are you?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,798 ✭✭✭✭DrumSteve


    osarusan wrote: »
    I think that if you had a contract and it was all above board, your letting agent/landlord would have read the meter on the final day of the previous tenant's occupancy and passed that on to the utility company.

    You would be surprised.

    ALWAYS take your meter reading on day you enter the property and the day you leave. Take a pic if you have to.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭osarusan


    DrumSteve wrote: »
    You would be surprised.

    ALWAYS take your meter reading on day you enter the property and the day you leave. Take a pic if you have to.

    Oh I agree.

    It should be done properly, but it's always best to do it yourself.

    The picture itself might not mean a whole lot though.

    I'd say it's best to get either the landlord/agent/whoever is there when you're signing a contract to get onto their phone and send you a quick email stating that the meter reading was XYZ on the date you moved into the place.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,632 ✭✭✭the.red.baron


    IrishLad90 wrote: »
    Bill has increased six fold this month due to an actual reading compared to my estimated from last few months.

    I moved into my place under a year ago and this feckin" nightmare of a bill was waiting for me..

    Can I contest this or will it just result in me paying the full outstanding..


    did you not switch the bill into your name when you moved in? You'd have been asked for a reading then


  • Posts: 24,714 [Deleted User]


    XsApollo wrote: »
    Works both ways, No massive gas bills over the winter, Christmas , party season :-P

    We don't tend to get massive bills anyway as the heat is usually just on for a hour or two in the evening even in winter. Free timber in the fire keeps the living room nice a warm all evening.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 131 ✭✭gitane007


    How did you know your meter was faulty?.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 131 ✭✭gitane007


    I've had a faulty meter for years.

    They, after many attempts got someone out to check the calibration which was incorrect.

    They only adjusted for 12 months.

    I was in the middle of that row and accidently paid the lot by card online as their website defaults to the full amount and I stupidly put in the amount I wanted to pay and didnt hit submit

    So I have no hope of getting that back.

    They are a typical dsyfunctional semi state

    How did you know your meter was faulty?.


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